Good Neighbor: Neighbor Concerns Policy Elements – Neighbor Approaches Resident

Critical Elements of a Neighbor Concerns Policy: What should a resident do when approached by a neighbor.

Neighbors may approach a resident, and this can happen at anytime.  They could have a neighbor stop by the house, see them while they are out on a walk, or run into them at the store or at work.  As you can imagine, neighbors will ask questions of residents on many issues, and residents may not know how to react.

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Here are steps residents should take if a resident is approached by a neighbor.

• There should be a clear policy on what residents should do if they are approached by a neighbor.  Putting policy and expressing what is exactly expected of residents helps residents know what to do.  In most cases, residents are instructed to be polite to the neighbor and let them know that you will tell the appropriate leader at the recovery home.  The resident may even take the name and number of the neighbor.
• In your policy is required to include the name and phone number of the person who is responsible for handling the questions and concerns of neighbors.  If this information is missing, residents may not know what to do.  They may not pass the information along to the correct person, or not pass it along at all.  This can lead to neighbors becoming frustrated because they are not able to speak to the right person, or no one follows up and they feel ignored.  Therefore, the person responsible for reaching out to the neighbor must have their name and contact information in the Neighbor Concern policy.